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	Peoples under Threat index by Minority Rights Group International   The threat of mass killing, genocide and other violence is rising in countries where governments are resorting to repressive measures to suffocate dissent, according to new data analysis by Minority Rights Group International (MRG) and the Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights.   The analysis, known as the Peoples under Threat index, seeks to identify those countries around the world that are most at risk of genocide, mass killing or systematic violent repression. This year''s index shows the threat level has particularly increased in countries where creeping authoritarianism and oppression of journalists and civil society continue to define government responses to political opposition.   ''This year''s survey underscores how repressive government responses are now key contributors to the risk of mass killing and other violence,'' said Claire Thomas, MRG''s Interim Executive Director.   ''Increasingly, risks are not only in failed states where governments are unable or unwilling to protect their populations, but also where governments use perceived threats as an excuse to crack down on specific groups as well as on civil society more generally.''   In Ethiopia, for example, the government has used violence to quell intensifying protests in the marginalized Oromia region. Security personnel continued to quash political opposition, killing more than 1,000 protestors during the course of the year and arresting tens of thousands of others. A state of emergency was announced in February, resulting in severe restrictions on freedom of expression and association. Arbitrary detention and torture remain pressing issues.   The threat level has also increased in Turkey, where Recep Tayyip Erdoğan consolidated control of the country amidst a mass purge of journalists, public officials and teachers, following the failed coup attempt in 2016. Turkish armed forces have repeatedly clashed with Kurdistan Workers'' Party (PKK) fighters, particularly in Diyarbakir governorate, leading to large-scale displacement and hundreds of civilian casualties, particularly affecting the country''s Kurdish community.   A similar pattern can be seen in Venezuela, which has also risen up the Peoples under Threat ranking, as the government under Nicolas Maduro has violently suppressed protests against its rule.   Non-state armed groups play a central role in the escalation of conflict in many of the highest-ranking countries on the list, such as Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Somalia, driven by political rivalries, extremist ideologies or competition over resources.   Niger, for example, is experiencing major upheavals as a result of ongoing violence perpetrated by the Boko Haram insurgency. In March, the government declared a state of emergency in the western areas bordering Mali and launched a major military operation after attacks on soldiers and civilians by armed groups in Tillabéry and Tahoua. Hundreds of journalists, protestors and opposition politicians were arrested last year in the government''s crackdown against dissent.   In Iraq and Libya, also both ranking high in the index, the threat from the so-called Islamic State (IS) may be more contained but the proliferation of other militias leaves populations at grave risk.   ''The response of the international community to threats against civilian populations has ranged from inaction to disastrous military intervention. Both have exacerbated the situation in many countries,'' said Mark Lattimer, Director of the Ceasefire Centre for Civilian Rights.   In Myanmar, for example, the recent forced displacement of the Rohingya minority has been met by a weak response from the international community and looks unlikely to be resolved in the near future. And in Syria, ranked once again at the very top of the index, the military support offered by Iran and Russia to the Assad regime has contributed to a spike in civilian deaths, while bombing by the international coalition against IS has also led to an undisclosed number of civilian casualties.   This is the 13th year that the Peoples under Threat index has been released by MRG. Based on current indicators from authoritative sources, the index provides early warning of potential future mass atrocities. Visit the related web page
	Kenyan citizens file complaint against World Bank for its funding of for-profit schools by Sylvain Aubry Global Initiative for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights, agencies   Apr. 2018   Today, the Kenyan-based organisation East African Centre for Human Rights (EACHRights) and eight Kenyan citizens submitted a complaint to the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) via its Compliance Advisor Ombudsman regarding its investments in Bridge International Academies’ operations in Kenya. The complainants demand that the IFC take action to stop the harm caused by the multinational chain of low-cost primary schools.   The complaint comes following repeated efforts to raise concerns about investments in Bridge International Academies. In a press release published today, Linda Oduor-Noah, from EACHRights, stated: “EACHRights and other civil society organisations have met the World Bank and IFC team several times to raise issues regarding Bridge’s operations. To-date, no adequate steps have been taken to address the very concerning practices we have documented. The lack of accountability and transparency in this process, as well as lack of urgency in addressing these ongoing grave problems raises concerns about the IFC’s due diligence with respect to its investments. How can an institution like the Wold Bank, through the IFC, fund illegal private schools that make profit off poor parents?”   The complaint alleges that Bridge, in particular in Kenya, is committing serious violation of international and national law, and that the IFC’s investment is in breach of its own internal investment guidelines – called Performance Standards – related to labour rights, health and safety, and compliance with national laws. The violations of these standards are considered by the complainants to be inherent to Bridge International Academies’ model and incompatible with any IFC investment. The complainants demand that the IFC withdraw its investment and take measures to avoid future similar investments.   In solidarity with the complainants, the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Oxfam International, and RESULTS Educational Fund welcome the submission of this complaint as it comes after several attempts by local and international organisations to raise the issue with the IFC. Since 2015 several meetings with World Bank staff were organised, and three joint statements have been sent to the World Bank and other investors in Bridge. The latest letter was sent on 1st March 2018, and in its response, the IFC President declined to take any immediate action.   This is despite the World Bank having been provided with a large amount of cross-checked independent evidence demonstrating, among other grave concerns, that Bridge lacks transparency and attempts to silence critics, has discriminatory impacts, appears to rely on exploitive labour practices, and violates educational, health and safety standards. Bridge International Academies operates 405 schools in Kenya, the first one since 2009, but only a few are legally registered.   Investors have a legal obligation to not violate human rights in their investments. As the complaint to the IFC process proceeds, local and international organisations will continue to support EACHRights and affected right-holders to address the ongoing concerns about Bridge International Academies’ operations.   Mar. 2018   In an open letter published today, 88 civil society organisations have urged investors to cease their support for the multi-national for-profit chain of private schools Bridge International Academies (BIA), which runs over 500 schools in Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Uganda, and India.   Feb. 2018   Following the decision of the Government of Uganda to close Bridge International Academies in in the country, after 18 months of investigation and court battles, civil society organizations call on the US-based company to comply with the Government decision and stop undermining the right to education.   In a press release dated 6 February 2018, the Government of Uganda reiterated that Bridge schools “will not be permitted to open/operate this school year (2018). Bridge International Academies, a for-profit company which operates 63 schools in Uganda, had reopened on Monday, at the beginning of the academic year in the country. This was despite a letter of 29th January from the Government of Uganda warning the company that its schools would not be allowed to operate, and a November 2016 court order authorizing the closure of the schools and that Bridge did not appeal.   The schools are being closed for failing to meet the standards regarding the “safety and security of pupils”, to meet the requirements for licensing and failing to submit full documentation for licensing. This Government decision confirms the long-standing independent analysis of researchers, journalists, UN bodies, the African Union, and civil society organisations that has shown that Bridge Academies operate in violation of fundamental laws protecting children and the right to education in Uganda, as well as in Kenya.   http://globalinitiative-escr.org/complaint-against-world-bank-filed/ http://globalinitiative-escr.org/open-letter-88-organisations-urge-investors-to-cease-support-for-bridge-international-academies/ http://globalinitiative-escr.org/bia-non-compliance/ http://globalinitiative-escr.org/advocacy/privatization-in-education-research-initiative/ http://globalinitiative-escr.org/advocacy/privatization-in-education-research-initiative/commercial-schools-and-the-right-to-education/ http://www.actionaid.org/news/bridge-international-academies-must-respect-right-education-and-comply-ugandan-government-order
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